Through the Woods by Emily Carroll, 208 pages
A 2015 Top Ten Great Graphic Novel for Teens Book
In five short stories, Emily Carroll plays on those basic fears that we all have - fear of the dark, fear of things not easily seen, fear of the woods where strange things can dwell. None of the stories are connected, though they all seem to feature lonely houses tucked away by a forest. Carroll also uses a limited color palette in telling her creepy tales, and it works perfectly. The bright starkness of red against black, white, and other muted but earthy tones definitely helps keep the creep factor going, especially in "A Lady's Hands are Cold" and "The Nesting Place" (speaking of, I've never been more freaked out by an illustration than I have of the monster in "The Nesting Place"). I'll be interested in seeing if any of the stories here get adapted for movies or television, as these stories would be fantastic in a moving medium, as long as the right people do them (of course). If you were a fan of Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series and their original art back in the day, then this will be right up your alley.
(Read as part of YALSA's Hub Reading Challenge.)
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